The Berlin CDU wants to start coalition talks with the SPD. After the repeat election, a change of power from red-green-red to black-red is imminent. The CDU’s top candidate, Kai Wegner, made a corresponding proposal to the party’s state executive committee, which unanimously approved it. If the coalition is formed, Wegner would succeed Franziska Giffey (SPD) as Governing Mayor of Berlin.
The decision by the CDU indicates a change of power in the capital, which has been governed by the SPD, the Greens and the Left since 2016, although the previous tripartite alliance would also have a majority in the new parliament. Should black and red work, Franziska Giffey (SPD), who has only been head of government since December 2021, would have to leave the town hall. She has declared her willingness to work as a senator in the new state government.
The Berlin CDU is striving to form a government quickly. Coalition negotiations with the SPD are to begin as early as next week, as CDU top candidate Kai Wegner announced on Thursday. On Monday it is planned to set up the working groups for the negotiations. In the days that followed, the umbrella group would meet with the top representatives of the parties for the first time and discuss the further procedure.
More intersections with the SPD
CDU leader Wegner justified his party’s decision to hold coalition negotiations with the SPD by saying that there were many points of agreement in terms of content. It is true that “new trust” was also created in the exploratory talks with the Greens. “Nevertheless, there are more overlaps with the content of the Social Democrats,” said Wegner after a CDU board meeting. The consultations should take place quickly. The coalition agreement should be in place at the end of March.
“We have a very clear premise,” said Wegner. “We want Berlin to remain Berlin. But Berlin is working again everywhere,” says Wegner. “We don’t want Berlin to reinvent itself every day, we want to ensure that the basics in our city really work.” A functioning administration, a safe and clean city and a well-equipped police force that gets the support it needs are important.
“Solutions for the rent crisis”
Wegner also announced solutions to get the “rent shortage” under control. Tenant protection must be put on a new footing. “We want to promote new housing construction and increase supply,” says Wegner. The aim of mobility policy is to give equal consideration to the interests of cyclists, pedestrians, public transport users and drivers. Another focus will be climate protection.
In the repeat election on February 12, the SPD ended up with 18.4 percent of the votes, well behind the election winner, the CDU (28.4 percent). On Wednesday evening, the SPD state executive announced that the party wants to conduct coalition negotiations with the CDU. The decision was made with 25 yes votes to 12 no votes.
Giffey spoke of “respect for the election result” for the CDU and more content overlaps with the CDU. With the previous partners, the Greens and the Left, there could not have been a real new beginning. The Greens “were getting signals that goals that were important to us were being put into perspective,” said Giffey. But the decision was “very difficult”.
She admitted that there was “a lot of skepticism” within the SPD about a coalition with the larger CDU. The SPD leadership hopes that a change to the CDU will give them more chances of success in the next parliamentary elections in 2026.
